His father was a Major General and was the son of the former Mayor of Coventry and High Sheriff of Warwickshire, Henry Cadwallader Adams (of Ansty Hall, Warwickshire) and Emma Curtis, daughter of Sir William Curtis, 1st Baronet of Cullonds Grove (1752–1829), the former Member of Parliament for the City of London, Lord Mayor famed for the definition of the 3Rs as "reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic" (attributed to him from a speech made at a Board of education dinner).
Simon Adams, Rector of Aston Le Walls 1627 to 1673, himself the son of Simon Adams[3] Frank's siblings were his older brother William Ormond (born 1847), and four younger siblings, Howard Cadwallader, Ellen Georgina, Emma Catherine, and Mary Beatrice.
He was educated at Wellington College,[4] a younger co-student of another England rugby captain Henry Lawrence.
[2] He played his final two matches for England as captain, drawing with Scotland and then on 24 March 1879 at The Oval beating Ireland.
[2] After retiring from international rugby he continued to play for Richmond and was a member of the unbeaten 1886–87 team led by Edward Temple Gurdon.